Short Summary

In Iran, the army has made as public display of support of the Shah with a parade of troops through the streets of Teheran, marking Armed Forces Day.

Description

In Iran, the army has made as public display of support of the Shah with a parade of troops through the streets of Teheran, marking Armed Forces Day.

SYNOPSIS: The parade was described by Reuters news agency as a "swift and low-key motorcade". Nine columns of motorised troops criss-crossed the main routes through the Iranian capital as jets and military helicopters flew overhead. The response from the people of the city was equally muted, with bystanders paying little attention to the display of military strength.

Those who did, watched in silence. Carried out against a background of tension and lingering violence in the provinces, the parade was poorly publicised; many Iranians did not seem aware it would take place.No newspapers have been published in Teheran for several weeks because journalists are taking anti-government action.

It took less than five minutes for some thirty army vehicles to pass the gates of Teheran university -- where demonstrators took refuge and defied security forces during the recent riots. In other parts of the capital, however, small crowds were reported to have cheered the troops, and some even showered them with flowers. Acting Chief of Staff, General Hushang Hatam, made a statement pledging military loyalty to the Shah, and promising the army would preserve the monarchy.

In a clear reference to the present unrest following the anti-Shah riots and strikes, General Hatam recalled that, before the Shah's father formed to army in 1921, "anarchy, riots and lack of security", as well as financial problems and foreign interference, had engulfed Iran.